Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Price Up 1.2% After Analyst Upgrade

Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST)’s stock price shot up 1.2% during trading on Friday after Oppenheimer raised their price target on the stock from $1,050.00 to $1,100.00. Oppenheimer currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Costco Wholesale traded as high as $1,001.37 and last traded at $1,001.16. 2,219,302 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 18% from the average session volume of 2,720,281 shares. The stock had previously closed at $989.29.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Northcoast Research set a $1,100.00 target price on Costco Wholesale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 24th. Daiwa Securities Group dropped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $947.00 to $917.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,065.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Twenty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,006.19.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 458 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $955.00, for a total value of $437,390.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,532 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,148,060. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $916.32, for a total value of $1,374,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,240 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,550,476.80. The trade was a 15.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 6,915 shares of company stock worth $6,317,097 in the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Costco Wholesale

Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management’s January sales report showed solid comp growth and digital strength, which traders have credited for recent upside in COST. Costco Stock Rallies On Strong January Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer raised its price target to $1,100 and kept an Outperform rating — a bullish signal that increases upside expectations from Wall Street. Oppenheimer adjusts PT on Costco Wholesale
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho also lifted its target (to $1,065) and kept an Outperform rating, citing rebounding membership trends — supportive for longer-term revenue and renewal visibility. Mizuho Raises Costco Target as Membership Trends Rebound
• Positive Sentiment: Macro flows: BofA flagged record inflows into consumer staples amid a tech selloff, helping defensive retailers like Costco attract demand. Walmart, Costco, XLP Surge As BofA Flags Record Inflows
• Positive Sentiment: Store expansion and membership initiatives (Cam arillo opening timeline; moves to fix membership issues) support continued sales growth and member retention. Costco Camarillo gets opening timeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: Wells Fargo raised its PT to $950 but keeps an Equal Weight, and DA Davidson reiterated a Neutral rating with a $1,000 target — results in varied near-term views. Wells Fargo raises PT on Costco DA Davidson reaffirms neutral
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data posted today is effectively zero/invalid (no actionable change), so it isn’t driving price action. (Entry shows 0 shares and NaN increase.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Consumer-interest pieces and product buzz (e.g., viral food items, product availability lists) are getting social attention but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Costco cookie cake reactions
• Negative Sentiment: Roth MKM and some cautious analysts warn about a possible stockpiling reversal (inventory normalization) that could slow comps in February — a risk investors are watching. Costco stock climbs after strong January sales (blockonomi)
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer and others flagged that Costco has been selling discounted luxury items in Chinese warehouses — an oddity that raises questions about merchandising controls and brand perception overseas. Jim Cramer on discounted Hermès Birkin items

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Soundwatch Capital LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 635.7% in the second quarter. Soundwatch Capital LLC now owns 2,553 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Hurley Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. Hurley Capital LLC now owns 33 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Joseph Group Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $444.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.91 and a beta of 1.01. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $914.61 and its 200 day moving average is $930.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The retailer reported $4.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $67.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $67.03 billion. Costco Wholesale had a net margin of 2.96% and a return on equity of 29.35%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.04 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 18.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.85%.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global chain of membership-only warehouse clubs that sell a wide array of merchandise in bulk at discounted prices. The company’s product mix includes groceries, fresh and frozen food, household goods, electronics, apparel, and seasonal items, augmented by its prominent private-label brand, Kirkland Signature. Costco’s business model centers on annual membership fees and high-volume, low-margin sales, designed to drive repeat purchasing and strong customer loyalty among both consumers and small-business buyers.

Beyond merchandise, Costco provides a range of ancillary services that complement its warehouses, including gasoline stations, pharmacy and optical services, hearing aid centers, photo services, and travel and insurance products.